Stop the Rush: How to Avoid ‘Hangar Rash’

Safe taxiing and parking can prevent costly damage and FOD incidents on the airport ramp.

Meg Godlewski

Tuesday, March 31, 2026 at 11:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

The airport ramp is crowded space and can be dangerous, so tread lightly. [Credit: Meg Godlewski]

Key Takeaways:

Always exercise extreme caution and never rush when moving aircraft on the ground to prevent costly collisions with other aircraft, structures, or ground objects.
Strictly adhere to painted taxi lines and remain vigilant for all potential ground hazards, including foreign object debris (FOD), tie-down equipment, drains, and people, to avoid prop strikes or other incidents.
Utilize proper ground assistance like instructed wing walkers in tight or low-visibility situations, and prioritize safety over minor procedural deviations, always communicating responsibly if rules must be bent for safety.

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Never be in a hurry when it comes to getting an airplane out of a hangar, its parking spot, or across the ramp. Haste, as they say, makes waste and often results in expensive repairs when a wingtip hits a wall or another wingtip.

Who else has seen someone taxiing across a ramp like they are driving a car in a semi-empty parking lot? It can be downright dangerous, not to mention expensive when pilots try to drive across the ramp, taking a shortcut through the parking places and sometimes turning a wooden chock or a tie-down into a projectile—or, worse yet, clipping the wing or tail of another aircraft because from the pilot seat it can be challenging to gauge how close you are getting to objects off your wingtips.